Police identify gunshot victim

UPDATE: Jefferson City police have released the identity of the man whose body was found at the end of Sylvan Hills Road on Wednesday afternoon.

The deceased is identified as 63 year-old James McIlwain of Jefferson City.

Police issued the following statement: "After investigating the scene, based on the factors and evidence present, it was determined that the cause was a self-inflicted single gunshot wound to the head. There were no signs of a struggle or robbery attempt, and evidence points to the conclusion that no one else was present at the time."

Initial news report posted earlier:

Police investigate suspicious death

Jefferson City police are investigating what they have classified as a suspicious death that occurred Wednesday afternoon.

According to police reports, officers were called to a cul-de-sac at the end of Sylvan Hills Road around 3:49 p.m. A postal carrier making deliveries in the neighborhood found the body as he was turning around in the cul-de-sac.

The body of the 63-year-old Jefferson City man, who was not identified, was found in the street. He died of a single gunshot wound, but police did not say where the wound was located. They also would not say if the wound was self-inflicted.

The cul-de-sac is at the edge of a secluded, wooded area at the bottom of a hill that borders Union Pacific railroad tracks and the Missouri River. As of Wednesday evening, police had found no one who might have witnessed what had occurred.

Investigators were on the scene for about two hours, combing the area and looking for clues. They planned to do more work on the case today.